A child waved to a robot dessert booth at the annual CES technology trade show in Las Vegas in January. Trade shows can be a gamble for small business owners, but they can also benefit them.After suffering an enormous downturn during the COVID pandemic, the trade show industry has mostly recovered, with one industry association, a provider of display solutions for trade show exhibitors, found that 65% of businesses consider in-person trade shows an invaluable part of their marketing strategy.
“Renting has become more popular as costs have risen,” said Butler. “Instead of spending $80,000 to build a booth, you can rent one as little as one third of the price and then return it when you’re done.”in North Philadelphia, has exhibited in countless arts and trade shows over his more than three decades in the business. He’s learned that it’s important to stand out.
“For us, the whole point is to design a booth that’s beautiful and unique and you can’t do the same thing over and over again,” he said. Coyle said she has plans this year to “scope out” a few shows and potentially return as an exhibitor in the future.Both Aibel and Coyle have learned that some trade show promoters are better than others, so it’s important to research the organizers’ background and whether other exhibitors have had a good experience.